This course is part of the Python Basics for Online Research Specialization

Seth Frey

Offered By

Python Basics for Online Research SpecializationUniversity of California, Davis

About this Course

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If you do not yet code and want to learn, this course is a great place to start. It will teach you how to use existing Python code to interact with data on the Internet in fun new ways.  Instruction focuses on the conceptual basics of the programming language as it relates to working with online data. You'll be introduced to Python arithmetic operators, variables, values, and modules. At a higher level, you'll experience what an API is and how it works by playing with cat memes.  
Separate from the technical part of coding, there's the psychological part. Topic lectures will address the human side of code, and make you feel more prepared to see yourself as someone who uses code. You won’t code from scratch yourself, but will use prepared code to accomplish tasks and see how it works. Additional code demonstrations are available in the honors module of the course to provide broad exposure to Python interactions with internet data.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Course 1 of 4 in the

Python Basics for Online Research Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

What you will learn

Learn why it's worth learning to code and what an API is by dealing in the basic currency of the social Internet.
Run "code notebooks" and discuss the psychological part of learning code to make you feel more prepared to see yourself as someone who codes.
Apply the programming language Python and bridge between the basics of a programming language and interacting with the Internet in fun new ways.
Using Python, you'll learn how to say one phrase in over 100 languages in Google Translate, and take simple phrases by translating them.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Course 1 of 4 in the

Python Basics for Online Research Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Instructor

Seth Frey

Professor and Computational Social Scientist

2,570 Learners

4 Courses

Offered by

University of California, Davis

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Pictures of Kittens in Python

3 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 25 min), 3 readings, 2 quizzes

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Code Notebooks

In this module, we will go over an elementary coding concepts and our basic platform. This lesson will be run in "code notebooks," a sort of interactive textbook that lets you read, run, and change working code examples. We will also look at the psychological part of learning code. Topic lectures will address the human side of code, and make you feel more prepared to see yourself as someone who codes.

2 hours to complete

3 videos (Total 23 min)

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

Python as a Calculator

In this module, we will get our first proper lesson in the programming language Python, the beginning of bridging between the basics of a programming language and interacting with the Internet in fun new ways. You'll experience the quirks and details of working with numbers in Python, by using it like a calculator; also using variables, like in a graphing calculator. All toward a simple demo in which we convert bike wheels between standard and metric measures.

4 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 39 min), 1 reading, 2 quizzes

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Course Summary & Honors: Interactive Demo

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 14 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

About the Python Basics for Online Research Specialization

If you do not yet code and want to learn, this Specialization has a goal to soften the learning curve for Python. It has four main objectives:

To inspire you to code To help you think in code To teach you technical concepts to code To give you useful examples of things to do in code There is a steep learning curve on learning to code, and that is why this Specialization emphasizes motivation. You have to want to learn to code and stick with it through multiple learning activities and your own experimentation, research, and practice. This single Specialization will not teach you to code. It will, however, get you started with a mindset for coding, understanding of Python technical concepts, and an appreciation of what can be done with Python to access and interact with data on the Internet. These skills are increasingly essential for researchers. The wealth of data that is now available to researchers who can use Python and other tools to access it is transforming academic disciplines, including the social sciences. But there's a gap between the questions about human nature that we know internet data can cast light on, and the raw, messy reality of code and data. Each course in this Specialization has code demonstrations that you run that show how to use Python to bridge the gap and to discover things about ourselves, our friends, each other, and society, as we interact with the Internet in code. We look forward to being a part of your continuing education!

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Python Basics: Interacting with the Internet

About this Course

What you will learn